Snow Shoes Makin' a Comeback

For years my dad has held onto these old side water boots he and my mom would pull out every winter. Since I started university 3 years ago, he consistently attempts to convince me to bring them with me so my feet will survive the wet snow. But I always declined because they wouldn't match my carmel houndstooth coat and my floral dresses. This year, thanks to the gorgeous J. Crew Holiday catalog, I've had a change of heart. I wish I could say I found the fashion inspiration from within, but no, twas my favorite brand, the lovely J. Crew. After a quick "Do you still have those shoes, per chance?" followed by an aggravated are-you-seriously-asking-me-that-look from my dad, I now have a pair of new, old snow boots. They look like a grungy version of these:

They are practical and the perfect juxtaposition to my sequin skirts and silk tops. Not to mention, great for the snow ball fight that will inevitably go down on the walk home from church tomorrow.

I'm so glad he held on to them. Sometimes hoarders have the right mentality.

Rupert Grint Makes Me Swoon, Even When He Decides to Wear Trashy Make-up

I am an obnoxious I've-read-all-the-books-and-can-and-will-quote-every-line-from-the-movies-back-to-you Harry Potter enthusiast, who happens to have a massive crush on Ronald Weasley and, because of my odd imagination, Rupert Grint. (Can't say the same for Harry. Something about Daniel Radcliffe's creepy smile reminds me of Al Lewis. Don't get my wrong, I'll watch an episode or two of The Munsters if it happens to be on a random channel from my low-cable package, but Grampa Munster doesn't shriek "heart throb" to me). Either way, after watching this video so impressively suggested by The Huffington Post, I'm having mixed feelings about my long time crush. Rupert, I think you looked better in the wonky homemade Weasley sweaters. I'll always heart you, but if you're going to go on a bagel run in the middle of the night with a group of wannabe drag queens who insist on taping your journey, shouldn't you don the wig and heels too? Have some spirit. Just sayin'.

Lessons Learned from the Characters of Halloween P. 2

A Haughty Pirate

A mile or so away, there was another girl starting her Halloween night. She decided to be a pirate of sorts and wore a short, flouncy skirt, a black and red bustier, and stiletto heels, cuffed from the cement that she fell on as she walked from party to party. One of these parties was hosted by The Bumblebee and the Pumpkin. The Pirate hadn’t been invited, her invitation came from a friend of a friend, but she decided her presence at this event was to be highly regarded. She hadn’t blessed everyone’s party with an appearance.

With two Ninjas and Alice leaving her wonderland to enter another, the Pirate walked in the party and began to mingle. But after a few drinks, this little pirate had to empty her barrel, so she headed to the bathroom.

A Scuffle Breaks Out

While walking the seven feet to the bathroom, the Pirate bumped into the orange character.

“Move it, pumpkin,” she grumbled as she shoved the wide-eyed host.

“How rude,” the bruised pumpkin commented to a friend. After searching for the Pirate’s connection to the party, the Pumpkin concluded that she was an uninvited guest. Noticing that the Pirate moved outside, she decided to solve the mystery.

“Who do you know here?” inquired the pumpkin, her cheeks growing more and more rosy, “do you know the Pumpkin? What’s my name, huh?”

“Uhh,” the Pirate stuttered, thrown off by the Pumpkin’s courage.

“Do you know the Bumblebee? What’s her name?”

At this point, a group of characters formed around the assertive Pumpkin and the alarmed pirate. One of these characters, dressed as a used car salesman from the 70s, was the Pumpkin’s boyfriend.

“Well, I know Erwin,” said the Pirate uncertainly.

“Wrong answer,” smirked the Pumpkin. Get outta my house.”

And with her final statement, the Pumpkin gladly allowed the Car Salesman and his retro pals to send the bad-mannered pirate back to her galley. Next year, the Pumpkin will stay with her posse and the Pirate will be nicer to strangers.

Lessons Learned from the Characters of Halloween P.1

A Bruised Pumpkin and a Swollen Bumble Bee

One Halloween night, a girl dressed up as a pumpkin, for it was her last time to celebrate as a college student. Her costume was round and orange, decorated with a black glittery smile, and an orange and green hat. With rosy cheeks and doe eyes, the happy pumpkin started her night.

Her roommate was dressed as a bumblebee. Her costume was poorly sewn together and stuffed on both sides, making her look like a hunchbacked-bee. As a finishing touch, she added a glittering plastic crown to her head, elevating her status to Queen Bee.

Because it was their last Halloween, they were hosting a party, and happily allowed friends and friends of friends dressed as all sorts of creatures to pile into their apartment. Once they prepared snacks, spiked the hot cider, and added faux web with multi-colored spider rings around their apartment, they opened their door and greeted guests as they arrived.

My First with CITY

So, as I said in an earlier post, I've started writing for CITY's lovely website. Formatting pictures and text was much more complicated than I anticipated, but here it is, my first lil' baby: http://www.cityist.com/blog/a-site-we-love/

Lemme know whatcya think

Happy HallOUween

Time to put on my fat bee costume and fake eye lashes.

New "Project"

Last week I was contacted by an editor from one of the magazines that I interned for over the summer. "What did he want?" you ask... Well, he was curious if I would like to write for its website 1-2 times a week (I'll let you guess which magazine; gotta keep up that mystery. And it should be fairly obvious).

Please join me in a belated jump for joy.

No, no, it's not gonna be paid, mom (as far as they've mentioned), but it's a great opportunity for clips and to work with a publication that I respect. So boo-ya. I officially have my first assignment and am terrified but excited, so once it goes up I'll post it on here so ya'll can enjoy the read!

Oh yeah, Happy Wednesday

Accidental Ombre

I tried to dye my hair today. Erin thought I'd be fine on my own and for some reason her faith in my abilities turned into my own unwarranted confidence in myself. After 20 minutes of sitting and watching Sex and the City with sweet smelling hair over taking my scalp and, sadly, top of my forehead, I rinsed it all out, covered my head in conditioner and waited another two minutes before rinsing and blow drying it all out. After a quick survey of my hair I was really happy with the outcome.

And then I turned on the lamp.

The baby lamp sitting on our sink brought in enough light for me to see the huge chunk of hair that had escaped the dye and the inch long sections of hair around my head that also avoided coloring.

FAIL#1.

When Erin got home she touched it up, but I only have pictures of the before with my head titled so you can't tell.

What do you think? (No comments about my facial expression, puh-lease)

Moments at the (Laundro)Mat

“Excuse me miss, can these be stopped?”

“No, once it starts it goes. Why, did you forget to put soap in it or somethin’?”

“If only. I thought it was a dryer.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s not. Sorry.”

I shrugged, angry at myself and whoever decided to make washers that can’t be interrupted.

“I guess you’ll have extra clean clothes,” she laughed.

Still frustrated, I half-smiled and walked away. And so it continues.

A Recipe of Sorts

(Note: This is not a picture of MY sandwich, I ate it too quickly for photos. You understand. This is courtesy of www.midtownlunch.com. Looks good too, right?)

A few weeks ago, I ordered a sandwich from Mistretta's. The description of the sandwich was much better than the food itself, and I was both surprised and disappointed. The next day, while craving what that sandwich was supposed to be, I realized that I could make it on my own. Since this not-so-extraordinary light-bulb moment, I’ve become sandwich-crazed.

Every day I come home for lunch and I find myself sorting through the fridge, turning random ingredients into delicious amalgamations that satisfy my hunger and my caloric intake for the rest of the day (But who doesn’t need a few more pounds of warmth in the colder months? AmIright?). None of these sandwiches have been ground breaking; I’m sure that a quick recipe search could lead to an organized list of ingredients and instructions for any of “my” creations.

But I didn't look to google or The Joy of Cooking; I only searched my brain so I'm pretty proud of my Smoked Turkey and Two-Cheese Grilled Sub and in my Pepperoni-Mozzarella and Garlic Pizza Flatbread (I have yet to form creative names, you see). But of all my delicious sandwiches that keep me warm when the weather is not, my favorite is my Makeshift-Chicken “Parm” Panini, a sandwich so delicious, I could happily eat it every day. So, dear friends, I would like to share this crispy taste of happiness with you, for what is food about if not sharing joy?

Before I begin the description, I’d like to acknowledge that I do not follow the standard terms for recipes, so the measurements are at your discretion. Because of this problem, I’ll just list the ingredients here: bread, breaded chicken, parmesan or mozzarella cheese, sauce, garlic powder and avocado.

Let’s start at the base: I find it is best to use good bread. I recommend garlic herb bread, which can be found at most grocery stores. Erin and I go to Walmart and hit up the day old bakery section, which sounds disgusting but leads to delicious bread for $1.50. Total score.

Anyway, for the easiest track, take pre-cooked breaded chicken and cut it diagonally into half inch thick slices. Conservatively pour olive oil onto a skillet and sauté the chicken until it is golden brown.

While the chicken is being prepared, take two slices of bread and lightly brush olive oil on one side of each piece. Put the oiled side down on the skillet, and turn the burner to a low setting.

Now, let’s talk cheese: Despite Parmesan’s role in my title, I typically use mozzarella cheese because of its permanent spot in my fridge. However, either kind will be tasty. As the bread is toasting, take a nice amount of cheese and cover each slice.

Your chicken should be ready, so place the strips on one slice of bread and cover it in sauce. Add garlic powder on top and then put the pieces together and continue to grill the sandwich until it is well toasted. In the meantime, cut a ripe avocado into thin slices. Once you plop the sandwich on your plate, pry open the melted cheese and add on your avocado slices.

Now, put on a bib and gorge away.

No Alarms and No Surprises, Please

I've written before about my love for Sunday mornings. They have such a calm, beautiful allure that doesn't completely make sense, which only adds to their quiet charm.

This Sunday morning I watched New York, I Love You in bed. Just me, Netflix and a bowl of cereal. Considering the impressive cast, I expected more from this movie. I've seen it before, and I watch it more than I should, maybe because of the feeling it gives me. Some of the stories are really touching; I adore the elderly couple on their anniversary and the method actress going to prom in a wheel chair. And I miss New York like crazy.

Anyway, Sunday morning, in my digs: Although I spend little time in my room, it is my favorite space in this apartment. I love the butter-cream yellow walls and the bright light that floods in through the windows. I still have a lot of decorating to do, but the simplicity of the room combined with the display of my favorite clothes and hanging jewelry feels fresh and comforting. Since I began college I've lived in many different places, more than I would have thought, and this is the first place that truly feels like a home, not just a temporary stay.

Anyway, the plans for the day involve work and jogging. Homecoming did not do my body or school work well, so my relaxing morning is on the verge of turning into catch-up day. Gotta love Sundays.

P.S. The title is a reference to No Surprises by Radiohead, which is the base of my Sunday soundtrack

There aren't Enough Days in a Weekend

Went home for the weekend and, as they always do, it went by too quickly. I spent my weekend home the way I should have, doing nothing but cooking/eating/catching up with my family. But I forgot about my school work. Whoopsies. Regardless, it was amazing being back. I love my fam.

On Sunday, my mom, Hannah and I made homemade pizza on the grill with pesto, prosciutto, artichokes and fresh mozzarella. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of my keyboard. And I made apple pie with crumb topping "for my dad" and ohmygoodnessitwassodelicious.

The whole weekend was relaxing and fun. Brings me back to good ol' times in the 'Nati. As if Fall doesn't make me sentimental enough.

Oh, and the hair was never ombrefied. Fail at Life #1. Standing in front of the hair dyes at Walgreens, I began to realize how terrible it could turn out and how bad it would be for my hair and pathetically slim wallet to fix it.

One day I'll be brave and take risks.

Ombre-fy

I'm seriously considering making my hair ombre (obreying my hair? Putting in ombre highlights? How exactly do you form that? Oh well.) If you don't read any sort of beauty site or pay attention to these sorts of issues, ombre is a gradation in hair color, which sounds really ugly but can be very pretty. Ch-ch-ch-check it out:

See how subtle and gorge this is? I've managed to convince myself that my sister and I can re-create this from a $12 box of hair dye. And that her shine comes along with it. And her face. Yep, this is the normal amount of delusion for me. Sadly, it only ends after I follow through.

Moving on, here SJP, the icon of my life, has a different kind of ombre look. I actually don't know if this even counts as ombre, but it's a look I'm also considering. Pretty, right?

We'll see if this actually goes down on Saturday.

Athens Chilled Out

I am fall's biggest cheerleader, so if you check Athens, OH on weather.com you can imagine my happiness with the high of 58 and rainy overcast forecast. Lovin' it. Of course, true love requires give and take, so while daytime Becky is happy, night time me is unhappily freezin', to the point where I'm considering attaching my snuggie to my skin. How painful do we think that'd be? Livin' in a brick apartment has its flaws.

One more thought before I return to my chilled state: I'm in a Column Writing class (which I love love love (that's a lotta love)) and each Sunday we have to write a 500-word column. My professor assigns a general topic and then we churn out the crafty language and opinion. I'm going to start posting them, so hopefully they strike a cord with some of you. I'd love to get feedback, whether you like what I'm saying or not, throw it at me!

California Dreamin'

So, it's been a few weeks since I've last posted... Maybe a month--but who's noticing? \

School started, so life has been more than a bit stressful lately. Anytime I'm feeling particularly stressed or lost, as I like to identify it when I'm feeling emo, I watch movies or TV shows from better times. Tonight I made the great choice of watching the Chrismukkah episode from Season 1 of The OC. Ilovemesomeseason1OC. It's been so long since I've watched this fantastic show and I definitely picked a good episode. Watching these early episodes makes me a little sad though, only because of Mischa Barton; she was so pretty and had such a fresh face. Even when she was getting trashed and causing a fuss at just about every event she attends or, really, room she enters, her pore

s are impossible to find and her skin is glowing, and she has such pristine, shiny hair, oh goodness. My heart aches for what was.

RIP Marissa Cooper. I'm pretty sure this pic was in YM before it folded. While we're mourning, RIP YM too. They were all such cuties.

Brooklyn and Beer

This was an eventful weekend, or Saturday, I guess. Friday I worked, walked through the park, and then curled up with generic brand oreos and Netflix. Saturday I went to the Brooklyn Flea Market with Laura and Emily, my two summer loves. The flea market has everything from tacos to jewelry to lawn furniture. It's a fun place to wander around and try on crazy, polyester jump suits and gorgeous but overpriced, homemade jewelry. I got a leather bag for $10 that makes me feel super collegiate and now I'm pumped for school. Can't believe I go back in 2 weeks. Anyway, after getting lost in a charming part of Brooklyn, we took the subway to the Lower West Side and got dinner.

Jeff called and asked if I wanted to go to Brooklyn with him to a flower shop that has a bar in the back. This place was deep in the heart of Brooklyn, but it was super charming. The backyard is enclosed by ivy covered fences and it has little tables all over, where friends and even young couples with their infants were just hanging out. After a couple beers, I headed back home and he went to meet up with a few friends. Then at 11 we went to Harlem to a new International Bier Garten that just opened. I've never been to a bier garten before and of course I assumed there should be shrubbery around--it does sound like "garden" after all. Jeff made fun of me for this assumption. Regardless, we had fun and I've discovered that I genuinely love beer but not the cheap, nasty, college-party stuff. I'm nervous to go back to Athens with this new found love and little ammo to support the passion.

Anyways, today I went to the LES and got dinner with Jeff. Afterwards we stopped at a bakery and the woman had just pulled huge chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. Gooey, delicious, and as big as my face. AMAZING. I walked to the subway stop in the rain with my warm cookie; such a good moment. These past few weeks have been great. I finally feel in tune with the city and now I'm about to leave. Fingers crossed I'll be here next year. Better cross those toes too.

NIGHT.

Pizza in the Park

After 11 lovely hours at Lucky, Armita, another intern, and I decided to eat before taking the train home. She grabbed a tuna sandwich and I got a one-inch slice of ham and chicken pizza. Needless to say, she was immediately jealous of my greasy dinner and wanted to throw out her health food and buy a slice. So I shared. After picking up our food we headed to Bryant Park to eat and chit-chat. Considering I work next to the park, it's sad how rarely I go there. I've never gone at night and feel ridiculous for my delayed discovery. It's a block from Times Square but so peaceful and beautiful, perfect for attacking my delicious pizza. We had a good time. Armita is exotic and glamorous, so I didn't expect us to get along as well as we do. Often times I wish I had taken the internship in Cincinnati, but moments like this, eating pizza with types of people that I definitely wouldn't have met in Ohio, make me happy I came.

And now, my friend Tylenol PM and I will be cozying up. I'm hoping our pal drool will join us shortly.

LOVE.

Recent Events

Today I started what will be a three week long internship with CITY Magazine (which is super cool, b-t-dubs. Look it up: http://www.cityist.com/). Should be similar to Lucky as far as work goes, but in a smaller office and I'll get to assist at photo shoots. My biceps and resume are really working hard this summer.

In other news, went out with Laura and Emily Saturday night and as fun as it was, it's sad when I remember how much I'll miss them after my last three weeks are up! Cheesy but so true. And I went to Barcade with Jeff last night. In the depths of Brooklyn (aka: 2 stops in), sits this arcade infused bar. It was a good time, but I was hoping there would be Street Fighter. False expectations can ruin a night. We still had fun, and if you're ever in Brooklyn it's worth the stop.

I like being in a city with a transit system that makes travel super simple, but I'm excited to go back to Ohio. I can walk across in Athens in less time than I can subway down to the LES. Love you forever 513.

Time for a Group Exercise

Take your two pointer fingers and put them as close as they can get without actually touching. That's how close I was to seeing Anna Wintour today. I was sent to the GQ offices and, while waiting for an elevator going up, I heard a conversation coming from one headed down. The doors just started to close and whose commanding voice did I hear? Wintour's. It was her. And in my book, that's a sighting.

Dreamin' about colored leaves

So ready for fall. If my budget--and the weather--allowed, this would be my uniform.

Lost with a cause

The past few days have been filled with lots of work, dinners, shopping, and speed walking through the park. And *NSYNC. Can't forget about my fav ninties crooners.

Friday I met a few friends midtown East for drinks after work. What should've been a 10 minute ride took me 50 minutes. As much as I complain about my knack for getting lost, chasing trains has been a fun way to learn the city and to learn to trust myself, as backwards as that sounds. Usually my biggest mistakes come from not trusting my instincts or neglecting to use them at all while traveling. If I've learned anything in the past months its that I can depend on myself more than I thought. And to read signs. They exist for a good reason.

Weekend recap

I took the train into Long Island on Sunday and spent the rainy day watching (read: attempting to quote in a very poor British accent) Harry Potter with Jonathan. It was such a perfect day to stay in and watch movies. Few things are more relaxing than hearing the rain fall. I stayed an extra day due to Jonathan's begging, but I was happy to have stayed. I really love being with them and being in that messy, comfortable house.

Tonight I got dinner with my friend Laura. We both love the same, super nerdy things and have an obsession with Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart, not Hepburn) and the Olsen Twin movies. Oddly, my love for them enhances my dorkiness and hers conveniently makes her cooler. Ain't life twisted. Either way, as we were leaving dinner we noticed they were preparing cameras to shoot SVU. We would've stayed and stalked, but ice cream sounded more important. On my walk home they were packing everything up.

Saturday we're finding the Gossip Girl set. I'm tellin' ya, with great determination and a friend who can sniff out celebs, I have no doubt we'll meet someone interesting.

Night yaaa'llll

Sunday Morning

Eating a cookie and watching an Italian soap opera on RAI. The good thing about soap operas is that even a minimal understanding of the language is usually enough to figure out what's going on. This one is set during the civil war and we have all kinds of delicious Italian drama: Secret plans for sneaking around the Germans in battle, this woman is searching for her lover in a dangerous mission and in a super chic forties dress, and another woman's boytoy left for New York. And the dramatic violins have been cued the whole time. Perfetto. This may have to become a ritual.

Once I get ready I'm headed to Penn Station to take the train into Long Island. Cookies, Italian drama, and family--that's what Sundays are made of.

LOVE

So tempted

Before I begin a rundown, check this out:

http://solutionsthatstick.com/subtle-butt-5-pieces-8?zenid=l7jrgm8m1m31btl31opvlhot10

Not that I have a strong interest in getting away with farting while going about my daily activities, I am so, so curious if they work. These need to be used by spies. I wonder if the C.I.A. created them like 20 years ago and have been hiding them. Someone please buy, try, and let me know.

In news not related to James Bonding a fart, yesterday one of the associate editors asked me to accompany her to Prada on Fifth so that I could help her pick up a suitcase. She said regardless of the fact that I can't afford it, I should check out Fifth stores for the experience. Future plans to dress up and pretend I'm rich? Yep. But that's not the point. While we were in that heavenly escape disguised as a store, we looked up and saw Jay Manuel walk in! For those who are unaware, he's one of the main hosts for Top Model. This polished guy:

He walked into Prada like a nervous teenager entering Homecoming alone, looking for his friends. Not the air I expected from him. But he is so perfectly put together and polished, he seriously looks like a life-sized Ken doll. This certain editor and I raised our eyebrows at each other and had a squeal in the cab. Good times at Prada... (I have to say it at some point; errybody knows I'll never be able to go in and buy something.)

Old friends, new places

Today I got lunch with a girl that I knew in Elementary school who is living directly across the park from me. It was my first time taking the bus rather than the subway, and that was about as interesting as it sounds. We then explored The Met because she had never been and wandered around the UES until my feet were close to growing a mouth and yelling at me (I thought my sandals just needed to be broken in but I believe that they are just uncomfortable. Shame.). At 6 I met up with my friend Amanda for dinner in Chelsea and we ate at a cute, typical American diner that happened to be run by Hispanics. The food was a bit overpriced for what it was but they had a nice selection of pie (read: it was worth going back to). It was good seeing her and exploring a part of town that I rarely go to.

That's all I got!

LOVE

Wandering Around

Recently my schedule has been pretty crazy, so I haven't been working out (except at work, which essentially is one, very long workout). Tonight, however, I had some time so I went back to my fav spot, the JK Reservoir track. Not exactly a creative place to go, but so pretty. I have pictures that I sent to Hannah on my phone while having a who-is-more-jealous-of-whose-current-location-battle, a battle I quickly dominated but I don't have my phone cord unfortunately. So errybody give a warm "thanks" to fivestarphoto.net for providing you all with this photo. Gorgeous.

Anyhoo, met up with my friend Laura for dinner last night. We went to a crammed but cute Italian restaurant on 85th that was delicious and inexpensive--the best combination. (Side note: The semi-insane, middle-aged waiter kept flirting with me, which speaks to why I am perpetually single. I almost exclusively get hit on by Mexicans and homeless men. One man even stopped chanting for money last week to whistle and tell me he liked my skirt. It's a sad world out there. Anyway, back to Saturday and homeless people who harassed me in a different way.) After dinner Laura and I got Pinkberry and sat outside of the Natural History Museum for an hour and chatted. Then we started to walk down Central Park West to head home and when a homeless woman approached us for money. We clearly just kept walking, which was so offensive to her that she began screaming about how we'd end up just like her one day and never receive help. She reminded me of Susan from season 1 of Survivor (If I were to see you on the side of the road I wouldn't even give you water!). Honey, you are hitting up the wrong people for cash. Lesson to the poor: don't hit up broke college students and expect a large, or any, sum. Aside from that creepy 3 minutes, the park was beautiful and we had a good time.

P.S. The title is not just about what I've been doing, but is the title of the very relevant song I'm listening to by Coconut Records. Not their best, but perfect for a chill night.

Forgot the fun stuff:

I was eating lunch in the CN cafeteria on Thursday when Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis came in to check it out. Had my face not been jammed inside my left over chicken and broccoli container I might've noticed them. I miss everything. And then my friend/fellow intern rode the elevator with Mila Kunis when she was coming back from a pick-up. She didn't want to be an obnoxious fan and ask for an autograph, so she just silently rode with her mouth wide-open, staring until Mila exited the elevator. She smiled and said "Have a nice day," as she entered the GQ lobby. Nice, right? She would've taken a picture with her for sure. Oh well, another day, another celeb sighting (fingers crossed I'll actually notice)

Oh hey, Ohio

So the past week has been more than hectic, so I'll break down the highlights as best as I can (highlights is loosely used here, considering most of you know that my highlights are exclusively about food that I've eaten. Let's say important happenings instead.)

I'll start sad and work up: my nonno died last week. He's been sick for about a year now, if not two, so this came as no surprise. Still, I adored his incomprehensible english that resulted from his thick, Italian accent, his constant matching of plaid suits, and his love of wearing newsboy caps. We were by no means close, but I'll definitely miss him. My amazing aunt, sensing that my mom would need as much support as possible, funded my coming into Ohio for a long weekend (Aunt Reen, I could not adore you more). So, at 6:15 Friday morning, I hopped in a taxi--I would say hailed but it was very conveniently sitting outside of my apartment at the light)--and headed to LGA. I had to transfer in the Philadelphia airport and then made it to CVG at 12:30ish. For the first time in my life I flied alone with almost no mistakes. My one, teeny,insignificant error is that my passport is currently in the Ottawa International Airport. Apparently it was upset about my little travel and wanted some adventure. Hopefully I'll have it back by this weekend.

My cousin picked me up from the airport and brought me to my aunt's house where everyone from the funeral came to eat. Walking in the door, I saw a slew of familiar faces and an equal number of adorable, aged Italians, all who somehow knew my name and seemed unjustifiably happy to see me. It gave me one of those great warm feelings (not fuzzy though, just warm. Though it may have been from all the espresso those people chug.). All of them were angry that I had lost five pounds in my weeks in NY, and decided that this would not do. My five pounds were successfully recovered through an abundance of carbs, fine cheese and pork. Gotta love being Italian.

When I wasn't stuffing my face and stretching out my stomach, the weekend was spent lovin' on my family and packing up the remains of my grandfather's possessions, some of which I was given. I'm about to go heavy on the cheese here and unfortunately I don't mean asiago: my family is amazing. They are such a loving, fun, hilarious support system that I genuinely don't know where I would be without. Being home was reviving.

Today I drove back with my cousin's from LI and we stopped at a soccer store near my apartment and then got dinner. The food was great and the waiter's were extremely sexy (read: I will be going back). Noticing how attractive our waiter was, I obviously mentioned it to my aunt who promptly replied, "He's married. I already looked for you." See what I mean? Thanks for lookin' out; team work is the way things get done. And the way I get dates. My uncle wasn't amused but hey, ya can't please everyone.

This was a short summary if you can believe it, but definitely long enough. Lastly, my KEDS finally came!! Yay for feet that will not ache at the end of the day and for crisp, clean sneaks. Check 'em out.

I'm off to pick out an ensemble with them that will not make me look like a substitute teacher or a six-year-old. Although really, what is my style if not a perfected coalition of those two?

LOVE

6,7,8, & 9 (Slacker style)

Good evenin',

I am a bad blogger and waited for the end of the full weekend to give a run-down of my adventures. And oh were they adventurous. Actually, although my weekend wasn't super exciting, it was the first time I felt like I was really taking advantage of my summer resting spot. Friday we actually got an early out day for the holiday, which was nice but I had no idea what to do. My grumbling stomach eventually led me to a pizza place/bakery a few blocks from work which was a wonderful discovery. I had a piece of chicken parmesan pizza that was significantly larger than my head and followed it up with a black and white cookie that was about the size of my head (that is my only measurement scale). It was definitely satisfying but I think I shocked the cashier when he realized I had consumed everything; I impress people every day. That night I worked out for the first time since I left school (yeah, yeah, worked out on a Friday night, shmah, shmah). I walked around the reservoir in Central Park a few times and, despite my getting lost when I tried to leave (The lovely NYC policeman who showed me where to go were much appreciated), it was amazing; the sun was setting, making the water and fountain look even prettier than usual and there was a light wind that made it a perfect time to walk. Seriously beautiful.

Saturday I went down to East Village, where Andy used to live, so that I could get Artichoke Pizza and go to The Strand. If you haven't heard of The Strand, it's a famous bookstore that has a really diverse collection and a nice selection of store purses that are pretty popular around the city. And if you haven't heard of Artichoke and are coming to the city, check it out! They are known for, not surprisingly, their artichoke pizza which is has a cream sauce, rather than tomato sauce, and spinach and artichokes. It is way more amazing than it sounds and the slices are so large that the cashier had to turn two plates into what looked like a venn diagram, overlapping them because the slice is so large it needs both plates. I was walking down the street, attacking this heavenly slice and I hear "Hey girl, wanna gimme somah-that pizza?" And while fighting the slice for the string of cheese hanging from my very pleased mouth, I shook my head and made it clear that was my slice! Go getchya own. Then I went to The Strand and took the subway back to Times Square where I wandered around and ran into a street fair in which there was free Dr. Pepper and blocks and blocks of scarves, clothing, purses, jewelry, gyros and lemonade. I'd like to take a moment to point out that I took the subway without having called anyone and made it there and back with no issues. Pat on the back.

Sunday morning I just hung out and watched Pushing Daises on Netflix (what-up free trial #2!) until I got a call from Jeff at 1 asking if I still wanted to get together. So we explored Central Park for a few hours and then headed back for dinner, which was delicious. He was having a few friends over that night to watch fireworks on his roof at his new apartment so I stayed for that. It was gorgeous, such a perfect moment (or 20); the sun was going down and there was a great breeze and then the fireworks weren't too shabby. The whole night was a lot of fun.

Nothing interesting to report for today. It was too hot to do anything, so more Pushing Daises inside and I watched Mad Men on AMC because I've heard so much about the show yet never seen it. I liked it; it made me want to wear high-waisted skirts and put my hair in a beehive. Straight class.

That's all I got. Hopefully that was an accurate run-down.

LOVE

5

I baby-sat for Em after work today, only for a couple of hours, but I'm so glad I went. I mean, I made a bit of cash which was nice (before I left home, like home home, I watched a show on how ATMs are being watched by predators who end up stealing billions of dollars from debit cards and I was terrified of what I would do. But now, I don't need one! Everybody but those rude thieves wins.). Honestly though, I just like being with them. I don't feel as alone and there is a strong connection, one that I felt immediately when I met all of them.

I had to put D to bed first and he screamed when he realized he couldn't smile his way out this time. He also accidentally kicked poor E in the face and then she cried too, but got over it when she decided to eat the applesauce from the cold container I put on her face. Oh, the wonders of sugar and preservatives.

Afterwards we watched about five minutes of Dora. Near the end of show Dora says, "would you help me find the [insert lost item here]?." And E, being the brusque 4 and 3/4-year-old that she is, rolls her eyes and mutters "She's always starting trouble." ADORE. This girl is hilarious. We then painted for 30 minutes and I had to put her to bed late because D was still crying when she was supposed to go down. He eventually fell asleep and, consequently, so did she. At least I hope so; Em got home before I had time to really check. I won't see them for a week because they're going out of town for a while, but E made me take a picture of the painting she drew of/for me because it wasn't finished but she didn't want me to forget what it looked at. If my camera weren't so testy I'd put the picture up. I'll try again tomorrow.

Anyway, they are currently the best part of my NY. I mean, at least tied with cupcake from yesterday and Artichokes (weekend plan).

Hope you're all doing well.

LOVE

Day #Fo'

Goooood evenin',

Not much to report today. I woke up, went to work, worked and then got food and came home. The only part of the day worth mentioning is lunch, which came at a late 3 o'clock. I ate breakfast around 9, so not eating lunch until 3, especially considering I non-stop move when I'm at work, was rough. Looking at my sandwich and apple, I knew I needed more. So I stopped in a place that looked as if it might have baked goods, and lemme tell you my sugar sense is better than ever. All kinds of desserts, including 10 different kinds of specialty cupcakes that were bigger than my palm were staring at me through the case, begging me to crush one and then have a sugar crash. You all know how I aim to please. So I got the German Chocolate cupcake. HAPPINESS IN A WRAPPER. It was so fantastic and half-way through I thought "I should take a picture and put it on my attempt of a blog," so here you are:

(Side note, yeeuhhhh, my camera is working! )

Mean, right? Sorry, I had to. Considering how late I ate lunch, I wasn't so hungry that I felt compelled to go immediately back to my apartment so I went to SOHO instead. I had to pick up an item down there today for work and passed this table that had the coolest stuff. So I wanted to go back and see how much everything was and, although it was priced pretty well, I didn't get anything. But I stayed around and shopped at a few other stores. Even having gone made me feel a little less lame and making it there and back without getting lost or taking the wrong subway just made me proud. There is hope people. On my way back I stopped and got a Gyros (When I said, "may I have a Gyros (pronounced year-oh), the guy laughed and said, "you mean a jy-row?" OK, sir. You are fortunate that I was just hungry enough to let it go and not so hungry that I was mean and would've viciously pointed out how you shouldn't ignorantly, and stupidly, mock people. Know your facts before you try to make corrections, nnnnn-okkkkaaaay?) It was delicious though, so I forgive him.

That's about all. I have a massive headache and just took some Tylenol PM so I'm hopefully about to pass out.

LOVE.

Day #3--First Celeb sighting and I am employed!

So it's way later than I'd like to be up, but a lot of great things happened today so I had to share (even though I'm under the impression I am the only one who checks this site. Whatevs.). Early this morning (again, read:11) I walked around Central Park, got a bit lost, but ended up back on identifiable streets. While strolling along, I saw trailers for Curb Your Enthusiasm, which they most certainly did. I was tempted to stalk outside, waiting for Larry David or Vivica Fox to make a debut, but alas, I'm only that creepy online. So, on my way home I saw a big fuss around a few tables in the outside area of a restaurant, and who do I see but Larry David filming the show! Snapped a pic on my phone's mediocre camera and am saving it for life. Dad says he's not famous, but he created Seinfeld so he clearly is worth freaking out about.

Next big news: Got a job! All those random applications from yesterday paid off very quickly, and I interviewed for a baby-sitting gig at 2. We met in a local bakery (Buttercup Bake Shop--how cute, right?), which cued me in on the bliss that was about to take place. The woman was nice and she and her husband are from Dublin, Ohio! She went to Miami and knows OU and lives 1/3 of a mile from me now! Seriously, I'm in a place devoted to sugar, with someone from Ohio, who wants to pay me to watch her kids when I have nothing better to do most of the week anyway. Amazing.

She asked me to babysit tonight as a trial and the kids are unbelievably adorable. They are so funny and sweet, I love them. The older of the two, a girl, who is 4 and 3/4, was upset with me when I put her to bed because, obviously, she didn't want to go to bed. So sweet talked me into fifteen more minutes, but otherwise I think it was great and as long as she gives her dad glowing reviews I'll have a consistent gig. Before I left, he paid me and said "We midwesterners have to stick together," and then the heavens parted and God yelled down, "You're welcome." It was a crazy. moment really, haha. Forreal though, I'm pumped about it and so are they, so maybe I won't be starving in this town after all!

LOVE

Day # 2

While everyone else I know here from school (read: four people) had work today, I was left with a lot of free time on my hands. I had to go grocery shopping, so around 11 I finally convinced myself that food was worth leaving the air-conditioning and I shopped around. The grocery stores within a block of my apartment are mostly over-priced and all randomly run by Hispanics, including the fruit and veggie carts. But, ten blocks down, all are moderately priced and (randomly) run by Asians. I'm making no judgments, just noticing. Weird, right?

After an initial grocery run, on which I picked up sugar snap peas, apples, overly ripe grapes (The cart did me wrong, but now they are frozen and consequently delicious!), pasta--I know this is uninteresting but the list has a purpose--cereal, and roasted garlic humus. Many of my friends have suggested I try humus, that I'm the type who would like it. Not sure what that means, but it was under 4 dollars and was infused with roasted garlic so I figured it'd be OK. I was very wrong. It is AMAZING. A humus-obsession has taken over and it is essentially all I've eaten today, save the last of my family-sized bag of M&Ms and the aforementioned frozen grapes. Obsessed.

After consuming what is surely an unhealthy amount of garlic flavored humus and carrots, I decided that I should again leave the AC again (and the humus) because, although I pay a lot to have my room, the city is surely more interesting than my 5 x 5. So I figured I'd go to Urban Outfitters. It's about 20 blocks down, which was the perfect way to get to know the neighborhood. Tons of sushi, bars and thrift stores litter every street. And despite the fact that most of the dwellers around here seem to be young families, I think this neighborhood will suit me just fine. And I found the asian grocery stores that have basic needs for pretty decent prices.

When I got back I applied to about 20 part time jobs and internships, so fingers crossed I will hear back in the next few days (Do a Becky-needs-some-cash-flow-dance for me, puh-lease!). Momentarily, I'm picking out work outfits and listening to Savage Garden, Backstreet and El(l?)iot Smith. Quality. And not as bad of a mix as you might think.

One thing I miss about Athens: the stars. I knew I would though. I'm so glad Kelsey and I star-gazed before I left. I guess the city has too many other lights for it to be fair for us to get the stars too. Anyhoo, wrote out an itinerary for tomorrow so hopefully it's fun and not so depressingly hot.

I wanted to put up pics of my pathetically small space and of the bruises that come with having so much furniture crammed into a space lived in by a clumsy girl, but my camera is not getting along with my computer apparently. When they make up I'll post pictures.

Night all

First week here

Yo, yo everyone. I have officially survived my first weekend in the city. OK, so most of it was spend on Long Island, but I spent the past 15 hours here, so let's just round up.

Last week I started my internship and lemme tell you, it was quite a beginning. My mom took the train into the city with me and dropped me off at work, pre-school style. I didn't let her take pictures, as she did when I was four, despite her begging-- but I was happy that she was there. Walking into that building seemed surreal, like I was going in to interview all over again. But past the elevator ride, the experience was completely different. Before I went in, I told my mom that I was nervous they'd send me on a run to pick something up. We both agreed that would be ludicrous and they'd be risking their reputation by sending me out into the city. They, however, didn't think so, which was simultaneously flattering and terrifying. In all fairness, I didn't put "very talented at getting lost" on my resume, so I can't blame them for not assuming. After a ten minute welcome-to-the-office, I was sent out to Michael Kors to pick up a few things and was sent to six other places throughout the day. I got lost at least fifteen times and had to ask more people than that for help. For the record, I'd like to kill the misconception that New Yorkers are rude; they may be blunt but they are so helpful and sweet. Everyone I asked, including the English tourists!--pointed me in the right direction and more than one person walked me to the subway. No shame. (Except about the way I looked, which was drenched in sweat and super frizzy. Humidity and I are currently fighting. Sadly, I think we all know who's winnin' that battle.)

Either way, those three days were exhausting but I learned a lot (for example, the D-train will always lead me to Harlem. As soon as I got on that train today it was clear that I wasn't meant to be there; hardcore one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other. Great graffiti though, really.)

Today was my first day here without having to work or being with my family. I decided to walk along Central Park and then go shopping. Yet another learning experience: shopping alone with such low funds is depressing. This is really not difficult to guess, so I have no idea why I still thought it was a good idea. That's kind of been the theme of my life for the past few weeks... At least I'm consistent!

I just finished watching A Cinderella Story (I will always love Hil Duff, no matter how poor the acting or sappy the story line.) And now I'm reading and watching Khloe and Kourtney Take Miami. New episode; that's what's up. Tomorrow I'll try to have a real adventure or make one up so that you'll actually want to read this thing. No more adventures in Harlem though, I think my time there has come to an end!

Good night, guys! Miss you all.

Meeting Toulouse

My adorable friend Erin--and roommate for next year--is obsessed with animals. With as many cats and dogs that live in our town, she's almost impossible to walk with, cooing and stopping to pet every four-legged creature that passes us. A couple days ago she called to say that her friend's cat had kittens and could we maybe have one for next year because we could easily hide it from our future landlord? I'll be honest: cats aren't my fav. Mostly because I've had a rough relationship with my cousins black and white devilish fur-ball but also because they don't care about you once they become actual cats. Rarely do they grace you with their presence, they walk all over your counters, drink from cups that are sitting wherever--they are a tad self-righteous. But I'm a sucker for babies, so a chubby, black-haired, blue-eyed kitten who would cuddle into my arms sounded fantastic (This also may be because I've been watching too many pregnancy movies). So I said yes. Toulouse and I met last night.

It had been a long day. I conducted 5 interviews, had two classes, had homework and tests to study for and all-in-all walked nearly 7 miles going back and forth from classes/home/interviews. Exhaustion. But Erin and I had plans to watch Glee--which was amaaaaazing, by the way!--so she picked me up after one of my meetings and when I got in the car Toulouse was sitting inside her sweatshirt. "He's been having awful gas," she said as she pulled him out of jacket and plopped him into my eager hands. My dislike for cats blew out the window like the putrid fumes he was silently emitting. I adored his blue eyes and baby-soft fur but this cat could whine, so I decided to put him, along with his claws and sharp set of teeth, on my notebook that was sitting on my lap and made sure he didn't fall off.

After a few seconds I heard something hitting the notebook, something wet. "Erin--I think he's peeing on my noteb--" and before I could finish my sentence and look down, I smelled it; rank, diarrhea, overpowering the vanilla Yankee car jar hanging from the front mirror. Holding the cat in the air, away from my lap and wool sweater, Erin and I laughed hysterically. He was perched on the tips of his paws, terrified of being in the air. She quickly grabbed him and put him in an empty, blue solo cup that was sitting in her car. Feeling relieved now that he had used me as a Port-a-Potty, he innocently stared at me from the top of the cup, his big eyes wondering why I was no longer holding him. Tears were streaming down my face from laughter, but I wasn't ready to hold Toulouse again, nor was my sweater.

One day, maybe when I find new notes from my Law class that aren't stained by a cat's bowel, Toulouse and I can be friends. We've got a few months to work on it.

Re-vamp

Clearly, I haven't posted much since beginning my blog last year. In fact, most of the few posts that I've had talked about how I didn't post. So, I'm starting over.

I went home this past weekend to spend time with my family and to see my friend Rachel. We went to high school together and afterwards I went off to school and she moved to Israel. It was supposed to be a year-study before she went to Pratt but she decided to stay. Rachel is one of the most unintentionally funny people I know. She interrupts when she is bored with the topic. She talks with her mouth full but makes it endearing rather than unbecoming. Rachel has huge eyes that look like at any moment they'll run out of her sockets; you can tell when she's really listening by the way they react. She has a laugh that is contagious and charming. She is artistic and silly. So when she said that she was moving to Israel and would have to join the army, I incredulously tried to respond in an appropriate way, whatever that would've been.

Anyway, Rachel comes back to the U.S. every so often, and this weekend she happened to be in. So, I made the three-hour trek home with my sister and a friend and met up with Rachel on Sunday morning (read: 11:30). She, my sister and I went to Panera for lunch and caught up as well as you can with someone that you haven't spoken to in a year. As nice as it is to see people after such long periods of time, it's kind of frustrating. You really miss out on the stories that keep a friendship going. The big stuff is important but the little oh-my-goodness-I-went-out-with-this-weirdo stories get left behind, and all of those together enhance the fibers of a relationship. But I'm rambling. Again.

We talked about our summers and I told her that I'm going to be in NYC to intern with one of our favorite magazines. Rachel's eyes expanded even farther out of her sockets and with complete sincerity told me I had to have a blog for everyone to read while I'm there.

So, I thought about this poor, neglected attempt of a blog and I told her I'd do it. I figure before I go I should become accustomed to blogging semi-daily, so I'm starting now. I leave for Manhattan in a month and a day. My goal is to blog 25 times. If there's anything you want to know more about or especially enjoy, please share it! I read many blogs but writing one is a task that I am nervous about, so I welcome feedback.

Here I go!